Purees aren't just for Babies

Now that I have the hang of using our Beaba BabyCook to make Delilah's baby food, I am finding more ways to use it for the whole family. I have this fanciful notion that one day, when Delilah eats regular foods, we will all eat the same things. I don't want to be a family where the kids eat "kid meals" and adults eat the adult meal. So now I am thinking up ways to use the same ingredients for both her food and ours until the time comes when she will eat the same textures as we do.

Last week I decided to make a batch of sweet potato pancakes with the remaining sweet potatoes from Delilah's first adventure with solids. I was craving something sweet but harvest-y and wanted an easy breakfast ready to go for the week. I used the same recipe below this week using pureed pumpkin instead of sweet potato with the leftover pumpkin puree I made.

I adapted a recipe from Tyler Florence for Sweet Potato Pancakes. I honestly make mine all different sizes so there is no precise number of pancakes, but it makes a lot. I added chocolate chips to the second half of the batch. Blueberries would be great too!

2 cup flour (I used gluten free all purpose but am considering creating my own out of a few different flours)
1/4 cup sugar ( I used less because my flour mix has sugar in it)
2 tsps Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
2 cups Almond Milk
2 Tbsp organic unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups organic sweet potato pureeor pumpkin puree (Steam a peeled and diced sweet potato, puree with some of the steaming liquid, as needed.  For pumpkin, cut a well washed pie pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy mush, and place cut side down in a baking dish filled with an inch or two of water. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes till the flesh is tender and the skin is soft when pushed. Scoop out the flesh and puree with some of the steaming liquid, as needed).
Coconut oil, Grapeseed Oil or Vegetable Oil
Chocolate chips or blueberries (optional)
Maple Syrup and Fresh Ricotta (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat the eggs with the almond milk. Combine the milk mixture with the butter and vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet, mixing until just combined. Fold in the Puree. Heat on High a Large skillet or griddle. Grease with oil. Pour ladle fulls of the batter- add chocolate chips or blueberries to each one if using. After 2-3 minutes, when the bubbles stop forming, flip the pancake and cook 1-2 more minutes. Repeat in batches, greasing as necessary.

I enjoyed mine all week with a dollop of ricotta cheese and drizzle of maple syrup. You can cool the pancakes and freeze, reheating as you need them.

Adventures in Solids

Delilah has been staring me down as I eat or drink for at least a month. It is safe to say she is more than just curious but rather interested in the concept of putting things in your mouth then having them disappear to some magical place called the tummy. I originally thought we would start her on solids when she turned six months. She is 5 1/2, so it isn't that far from what I expected. As she has completely stopped breastfeeding as of September 1st, it seemed like a good idea to introduce solid food.


Our wonderful neighbors gave us their Beaba BabyCook and I whipped up some sweet potatoes a la puree for the little piggy. It is super easy to use and as we are only introducing as many types of vegetables as we can, it is a little boring (literally water and the cut vegetable steamed). Once Delilah has had each veggie for 4 days each, I will start to introduce flavors with the vegetables in the form of herbs and spices. I want her to try everything in its most natural form first.


Here are some shots from our first time eating solids- she really enjoyed it!! She ate all of her serving the second time!

Start with Scrubbed Organic Yams

Chopped Sweet Potatoes 

I think it would be wonderful to fry these sweet potato skins with some sage leaves or rosemary stalks and use as a garnish

Baby Approved!

Though not necessarily in order, depends on the grocery store selection, this is what I plan on serving before bringing in the fruits and proteins:

Avocado (mashed)
Leeks (steamed with potato)
zucchini (steamed with potato)
winter squashes (steamed with potato if needed)
chard (steamed with potato)
green beans (steamed with potato)
broccoli (steamed with potato)
Brussel sprouts (boiled)
cauliflower (steamed with potato)
endive (steamed with potato and pureed with clean water, not the steaming liquid which will be bitter)
celery root (steamed with potato)
peas (steamed with potato)
carrots (steamed with potato and pureed with clean water because of nitrates)
asparagus tips (steamed with potato and pureed with clean water, not steaming liquid which will be bitter)
eggplant (steamed with potato)
turnips (steamed with potato if needed)
baby bok choy (steamed with potato)
pea shoots and microgreens, sorrel all steamed with potato

Mommy Juice

Before becoming a mommy I had this amazing idea that I would be able to breastfeed my daughter till she no longer needed my mommy juice. I told people that I would breastfeed if I could and if not, no worries. But I secretly thought I would only breastfeed because it's not that hard, right? Wrong. It was super hard, especially with a 5 week preemie, a disabled husband (he is better now) and a daughter who nursed every 2 hours till she turned 4 months old!  After Delilah turned 4 months she nursed every 2 1/2-3 hours depending on what time of day it was. Then at 4 1/2 months she squirmed away during a mid day nursing session. She continued to do so after 5 minutes on each side for the next few days. At that point I caved and handed her to my husband to feed her formula after she had about 10 minutes of breastmilk - this is the same child that would nurse 50 minutes or more only a week before.

Within a week my baby dropped nursing during the day and only nursed when she woke up, went to bed and in the middle of the night. It just so happened that I went back to work that week.. This past week she dropped her bedtime and morning nursing. She is still nursing in the middle of the night for about 20 minutes before getting a bottle. She has been waking later and later to eat, this morning at 4:45. Soon she will drop that middle of the night feed and I won't have any nursing time with her.

It is bittersweet because I won't have that special time together that only she and I can have while breastfeeding, but now she will have more time eating with other people which is good for her food education. It is bittersweet because I can't say I exclusively breastfeed her, but now I have a little more freedom to go out for longer periods of time without feeling like I am going to burst out of my shirt and I am not a slave to the pump. I don't feel as guilty when I am not the one feeding her.

The best part is that I get my own "mommy juice." I had a nice hot cup of caffeinated heaven this morning and a delicious, long awaited glass(es) of vino this weekend :) And I have more time to cook. Not that much time, as I am still a mommy and working full time. So this weekend I made the best Sloppy Joe out of leftovers from the fridge and pantry. It was so good, I am getting hungry right now!

Mama Lexy's Sloppy Josephine

1 lb any ground meat or meat substitute
1/2 jar leftover pasta sauce (I had leftover dandelion tomato sauce)
a few tablespoons of chili sauce, to taste ( I make my own/ it was leftover from my BBQ rib marinade)
1/2 a red onion, chopped small
1/4 cup brown sugar

burger buns
provolone cheese

After browning the meat in a pan (use oil or spray), add all the ingredients till combined and heated through.
Put a slice of provolone on each side of the bun. Top one side with the meat mixture and cover with the other bun half. The cheese will melt from the meats heat.

This is the first time I made sloppy joe's;  I don't know why it took so long.  It was actually not thought out, hence the leftovers. I originally planned for hamburgers on the grill when I made my weekly menu, but we are out of gas. Not a lot of ingredients and so tasty!

The art of quick cooking

     Having a baby who is reaching new milestones each day and working full-time leaves very little time for anything else- especially one of my favorite pastimes- food! I have had to menu plan so that I can get some cooking done on the weekends and figure out how to cook healthful, flavorful meals in a jiffy during the workweek.
One of my new specialties is my Coconut Chicken. You can substitute many of these ingredients for whatever you have on hand, but here is what I use:

     This is a one pot dish so I use a heavy frying pan with 2" or higher sides that can also go in the oven.  A small dutch oven would work if you don't have that kind of a pan. I pan fry a bunch of organic boneless skinless chicken thighs in coconut oil till they are browned on both sides. Remove the thighs and set aside. Next, saute a small chopped onion with a good chunk of minced ginger for about 4 minutes, till translucent and fragrant (I break off a 2-3" piece at the grocery store and use the back of a spoon to rub the skin off before mincing). Add a can of light coconut milk and fill that can with low sodium organic chicken broth (you are looking for 3 cups of total liquid). When that comes to a boil, add 1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice. After the liquid is reduced by about half (no more than 5 minutes), put the chicken thighs on top of the rice, sprinkle the whole dish with reduced fat, unsweetened shredded coconut and pop in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. When it comes out of the oven I squeeze a lime over it and sprinkle chopped cilantro.

     I keep forgetting, but I have been meaning to add peas to the dish before it goes in the oven. You could switch out vegetable broth for the chicken broth, chicken breasts or tenders for the thighs (but the thighs withstand the long cooking duration on the stove and in the oven best), sweetened shredded coconut (might taste too dessert-like) and any herb for the cilantro. I also started out using Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then grapeseed oil. Both are great, but I bought coconut oil so now that's  what I use. It's super easy and I am going to turn the leftovers into fried rice tomorrow with the leftover BBQ pork ribs and corn on the cob I made tonight!

Happy Eating!!

One Step at a Time

For anyone not keeping track, Delilah is now 3 1/2 months old (What?)! I am aware that our summer as a whole family together is going to end in a month and a half. I am aware that there will be lots of changes to routines because of vacations, work, daycare, the fact that a baby changes every stinking day. I am aware that I am not in control of much of this. And I am coming to terms with that.

I am not the kind of person to just let things happen. Many would describe me as a type "A". I have pretty much planned much of my life up to this point. I knew what courses I wanted to take in college before starting. I knew when I wanted to get engaged, be married, have a house, have a child. I knew what I wanted to do professionally and planned the steps to get there. Every summer I plan out what lessons I want to teach and art projects I want to do with my students. Having a child washes that all out the window with one fell swoop. 

Last night Bryan and I decided we should put Delilah to sleep in her real crib. In her own room. By herself. Without me. I've been thinking about it for many weeks now. I thought I was mentally prepared. I didn't think it was going to be hard on me. I thought it would be hard on her. I kept coming up with excuses to put it off: She will be scared, she will not smell us (yes, I said "us" as in Bryan too, so it wasn't just for my sake), she will start wakening again in the middle of the night. 

Guess what? I nursed her, Bryan swaddled her and placed her down in the crib. She turned her head, eyes closed and pursed her cute bow lips already asleep. We both did a victory dance before returning to our room where we guess how many seconds or minutes it will be till she stirs and cries out. Nothing. As we lay down, I feel this sudden rush of emotion similar to when I went back to work the first day and Delilah went to daycare. It was awful. I confessed to Bryan that I am sad, scared and worried that she is all alone. Worst of all I had a terrible nightmare about me falling asleep while changing her, and woke up in my dream  with her undressed, diaper half on and crying because she was so cold. 

The only upside to the dream is that I was more than willing to jump out of bed to go soothe her. As expected she woke twice in the night, once at 12:30 and again at 4am, needing to be rocked back to sleep. I came in many more times between to put the paci back in her mouth as she stirred. Both things I haven't had to do in a few weeks when she was sleeping though the night in our room. Whether or not she really needed the paci replaced doesn't matter. It was I who needed to do it. 

Taking Care of Mom

I'm not sure if it is the season, the thrill of the school year ending or that the "fourth" trimester is now over. I am feeling more like my pre-mama self in regards to one of my favorite pastimes: Food! Eating it, cooking it, savoring it, looking at it, picking it out from barrels and shelves in the store, studying it, and planning around it.

It all started about two weeks into Delilah sleeping through the night. I woke up more refreshed, less tired during the day and hungry for cleaner, fresher food. This is a big deal as we went from friends and family bringing meals in Delilah's first month, to eating from the freezer section and mostly convenience foods and gradually working my way up to cooking two meals a week.

This week I spent a lot of time thinking about how I will start to introduce solids to Delilah and what I want her relationship with food to become. Delilah is only 3 months, and I don't plan on starting solids till at least 5 -6 months, but I am the type of person to obsess early. I am really into how French babies eat, and in turn, adults. I am encouraged by the lower rates of obesity and childhood behavior issues in France. A lot of that has to do with their Food Education. As a lover of food, I want to give my child the best experience possible.

So, I have been reading books, blogs and websites about the ways of French eating. My new favorite is French Foodie Baby. I have started to adapt my style of eating to the more structured yet nutritious and mindful ways of the French (4 course meals with a vegetable starter, main meal, salad and cheese course and dessert).  Sounds like a lot, but eaten in small portions and over a longer period of time is better for your health. Slow food is good food. In this case I am referring to how long it takes to eat rather than cook.  I am excited, too, to have meals with Delilah like this, teaching her to enjoy her food and really observe the sight, textures and smells.

I figure the best way to start her food education is by me eating a variety of foods and magically, through breastmilk, she will be introduced before the real food hits her mouth (or cheek as she will likely not get it in her mouth right away!).

So far this week we have had: Herbed Quinoa with Goat Cheese and Lemon Tilapia, Mango Chicken and Vegetables, Leek and Chive mini Quiches, Grilled Angus patties with grilled red potatoes, and Stuffed Rainbow Peppers with Turkey Sausage. In the next few days we will be having Risotto style Quinoa with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms and Summer Squash, Lamb and mint meatballs, and a Lentil Salad.
You see, taking care of mommy's nutrition in turn takes care of mommy's happiness and therefore, everyone is happy, including daddy!

The Three Month Shuffle

We all survived the first three months and I feel like awards need to be awarded!! Seriously, so many things have happened in such a short amount of time. Speaking of time, it has a brand new meaning to me. How many minutes does it take to pump, how many hours since she ate last, how long has she been napping? But also I can't believe what a completely different baby Delilah is from when she was born, one month, two months and even last week! Within the last month alone she has smiled, learned how to stick out her tongue and respond to others sticking out theirs, grab at anything and everything within reach including our shirts, her toys, my hair and tragically the nipple. She coos loudly in her angel fairy princess voice when she spots dad  or mom and even herself in the mirror. Even though she was a preemie and hitting the charts at 5/4/3 percent for weight/height/head circumference at her two month check-up, she is now in size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes. Her legs and arms  have plumped up so deliciously that I can't not squeeze and poke them at every opportunity!  Amazingly she has been sleeping through the night for a week, going 8 hours before waking at 6am to eat for 15 minutes then snoozing an hour more before eating the rest of her breakfast. I'm so in  awe of her and how she grows. And I now know that those incredibly difficult early weeks when you bring baby home are just that-  the early weeks. Now is when the fun begins.